China's 'Trial of the Century' Over in Just Seven Hours

August 09, 2012 from ABC News (Australia)

Gu Kailai, the wife of former Chinese Communist Party heavyweight Bo Xilai, did not contest charges of murdering a British businessman Neil Heywood during a seven-hour court hearing today. She may face the death penalty if found guilty, but the case may also have more twists and turns remaining as the court adjourns to consider evidence and Chinese political leaders attempt to avoid the scandal spreading.

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Gu Kailai

Gu Kailai is the wife of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai. On August 20, 2012 she was found guilty of the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood and given a death sentence, suspended for two years. Her sentence is expected to be commuted to life imprisonment. Explore this topic

Bo Xilai

Bo Xilai is a former Chinese politician. He came to prominence through his tenures as the mayor of Dalian and then governor of Liaoning province. From 2004 to November 2007, he served as Minister of Commerce. Between 2007 and 2012 he served as a member of the Central Politburo... Explore this topic

Neil Heywood

Neil Heywood was a British businessman who worked in China. He was associated with Bo Xilai, the former Communist Party of China Committee Secretary for Chongqing and a member of the Chinese Politburo. Heywood was found dead in his hotel room in Chongqing, and the initial offi... Explore this topic

China

China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a sovereign state located in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of over 1.35 billion. The PRC is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party, with its seat of government in the cap... Explore this topic

Hefei

Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui. Located in the central portion of the province, it borders Huainan to the north, Chuzhou to the northeast, Chaohu to ... Explore this topic

Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China, also known as the Chinese Communist Party, is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China. Although nominally it exists alongside the United Front, a coalition of governing political parties, in practice, the CPC is t... Explore this topic

Chongqing

Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities in the People's Republic of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities, and the only such municipality in inland China. The municipality was crea... Explore this topic

Intermediate people's court

An intermediate people's court is the second lowest local people's court in the People's Republic of China. According to the Organic Law of the People's Courts of the People's Republic of China, the intermediate people's courts handle relevant important local cases in the firs... Explore this topic

Politics of the People's Republic of China

The politics of the People's Republic of China take place in a framework of a single-party socialist republic. The leadership of the Communist Party is stated in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China. State power within the People's Republic of China (PRC) is exer... Explore this topic

Hearing (law)

In law, a hearing is a proceeding before a court or other decision-making body or officer, such as a government agency. A hearing is generally distinguished from a trial in that it is usually shorter and often less formal. In the course of litigation, hearings are conducted as... Explore this topic

Also See

Gu Kailai

Bo Xilai

Neil Heywood

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